Wednesday, 28 December 2011

Can a Christian be a libertarian? By Norman Horn

U.S.
Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, speaks during a news conference at his newly
opened Iowa campaign office, Tuesday, May 10, 2011, in Ankeny, Iowa.
(Charlie Neibergall - AP)
Christians in American politics have argued for years that God
endorses the political agenda of Republicans or Democrats, but is there a
third way to think about the relationship between God and government?
Christians from the left and the right are increasingly turning to
libertarianism not because it is a “middle ground,” but because it is an
entirely different way of thinking about government and power.
The core of libertarianism is the non-aggression principle: that the
initiation of force against person and property is immoral, and it is
in many respects a kind of political corollary to the Golden Rule. Thus,
Christian libertarians think that government power should be limited,
sound money and truly free markets should return, aggressive war must
cease and civil liberties must be preserved. Despite objections raised
by other Christians, many Christian libertarians have found a friend in
Texas congressional representative, presidential candidate, and lifelong
Christian Dr. Ron Paul, because he also believes in these important principles.
Libertarianism treats man’s sinful nature realistically. James
Madison famously quipped that if men were angels no government would be
necessary. Christian libertarians take this a step further, saying that
it is precisely because men are not angels that government must have
extraordinarily limited powers. God does not show favoritism nor does he
give special privileges of position. Everyone is accountable to the
moral law in the same way. When governments and politicians extend their
power so that they can abridge people’s natural rights with impunity,
they have crossed the line into immorality. Rep. Paul’s message is that
the United States government has been far across this line for decades
and the remedy is to follow the Constitution. The Founders created the
boldest attempt in history to limit state power, yet presidents and
congresses, both Republican and Democratic, have repeatedly refused to
adhere to their own rules. True, lasting change can only be found in
reducing the power of the federal government.
Libertarians talk a lot about economics, and rightfully so. Money is
central to a healthy economy. Christians are also concerned about money;
in fact God talks frequently about money in the Bible. God’s warning
against unjust “weights and measures” in Leviticus 19 is a warning not
to tamper with the market ecosystem of money and trade. Rep. Paul
acknowledges the Bible’s concern for honest money as well in
End the Fed
: “The Bible is clear that altering the quality of money is an
immoral act… It is dishonesty in money that has been a major source of
evil throughout history.” If the love of money is the root of all kinds
of evil, as 1 Timothy 6:10 says, how much more seriously ought we to
take how our society views the control over the supply of money? If it
is true, as many libertarians contend, that the Federal Reserve is the
primary cause of the economic crisis we have today, then the only
solution is to restore honest, sound commodity money, free from
political machinations and special interests.
It is truly unfortunate that modern American churches seem to think
the state’s means of “spreading democracy” through aggressive war is
more important than spreading the peaceful message of the Gospel of
Christ. Jesus came to bring “peace on earth, good will to men,” and by
extension the Christian’s goal ought to be the same. Rep. Paul wrote in
Liberty Defined
: “It’s a far stretch and a great distortion to use Christianity in
any way to justify aggression and violence.” War kills the innocent,
destroys property, and bankrupts nations. Christian libertarians believe
that a non-interventionist foreign policy of peace, commerce, and
honest friendship is more consistent with how God expects us to interact
with world neighbors.
Libertarians think that everyone should be free to do as they will
provided they do not infringe upon the rights of others. Christians can
recognize the importance of this principle by simply observing history,
recognizing how often that other Christians have been prevented from
practicing their religion as their conscience requires of them. If we do
not afford others the freedom to live their lives as they choose, how
can we expect to receive the same freedom to do as we choose? Rep. Paul
explains that government does not make people good in
The Revolution:
“The law cannot make a wicked person virtuous… God’s grace alone
can accomplish such a thing.” God created us to be free to carry out the
dictates of conscience. We cannot continue to demand state control to
restrict people’s personal activity and yet assume our liberty is safe.
Through libertarianism, many Christians have found a way to move past
their previous beliefs about politics and embrace a more consistent,
more biblical political philosophy. The message of abolishing government
power is powerful on its own. In Ron Paul, many Christian libertarians
see a leader who points to principles that conservatives and liberals
have long forgotten: “A system of government without limit, if
unchecked, will destroy production and impoverish the nation. The only
answer is to better understand economics and monetary systems, as well
as social and foreign policies, with the hope that they will change once
it becomes clear that government policies are a threat to all of us.”
Libertarianism is not going away, and it surely will take an
increasingly prominent place in the political discussion of Christians
for years to come. Norman Horn is the founder and editor of LibertarianChristians.com.

Post sourcePost 15th December - The Bill of Rights
Today is the 220th anniversary of the Bill of Rights being passed. Cato-at-Liberty surveys
the current state of these safeguards, and it is not particularly
pleasant to consider how pathetic this rogue government has become.

Let’s consider each amendment in turn.
The First Amendment says that “Congress shall make
no law… abridging the freedom of speech.” Government officials, however,
have insisted that they can gag recipients of “national security letters” and censor broadcast ads in the name of campaign finance reform.
The Second Amendment says the people have the right “to keep and bear arms.” Government officials, however, make it difficult to keep a gun in the home and make it a crime for a citizen to carry a gun for self-protection.
The Third Amendment says soldiers may not be
quartered in our homes without the consent of the owners. This
safeguard is one of the few that is in fine shape — so we can pause here for a laugh.
The Fourth Amendment says the people have the right
to be secure against unreasonable searches and seizures. Government
officials, however, insist that they can conduct commando-style raids on our homes and treat airline travelers like prison inmates by conducting virtual strip searches.
The Fifth Amendment says that private property shall
not be taken “for public use without just compensation.” Government
officials, however, insist that they can use eminent domain to take away our property and give it to other private parties who covet it.
The Sixth Amendment says that in criminal
prosecutions, the person accused is guaranteed a right to trial by jury.
Government officials, however, insist that they can punish people who want to have a trial—“throwing the book” at those who refuse to plead guilty—which explains why 95 percent of the criminal cases never go to trial.
The Seventh Amendment guarantees the right to a jury
trial in civil cases where the controversy “shall exceed twenty
dollars.” Government officials, however, insist that they can impose draconian fines on people without jury trials.
The Eighth Amendment prohibits cruel and unusual punishments. Government officials, however, insist that a life sentence for a nonviolent drug offense is not cruel.
The Ninth Amendment says that the enumeration in the
Constitution of certain rights should not be construed to deny or
disparage others “retained by the people.” Government officials,
however, insist that they will decide for themselves what rights, if
any, will be retained by the people.

Norman Horn

The Tenth Amendment says that the powers not
delegated to the federal government are reserved to the states, or to
the people. Government officials, however, insist that they will decide
for themselves what powers they possess, and have extended federal
control over health care, crime, education, and other matters the Constitution reserves to the states and the people.

2 comments:

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